Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes:

A 98 Year Old USAF Veteran Remembers the Berlin AIrlift (417) Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

The Berlin Airlift stands as one of the most significant events in Cold War history, a testament to the resilience and determination of the Allies in the face of Soviet adversity. I speak with 98 year old veteran Ralph Dionne, who played a crucial role in this monumental operation.

Ralph details the story of the Berlin Airlift and shares his journey from basic training to becoming a flight engineer during the Airlift. His insights provide a unique perspective on the challenges faced by military personnel tasked with delivering food, coal, and other supplies under the threat of Soviet control. The airlift was not just a logistical operation; it was a lifeline for the people of West Berlin, showcasing the unity and resolve of the Western Allies.

One of the most touching aspects of Ralph's story is the kindness shown by airmen who dropped candy to children in Berlin, a gesture that became known as Operation Little Vittles. This act of humanity amidst war served to strengthen the bond between the Allies and the citizens of Berlin, fostering hope during a dark time.

Throughout the episode, Ralph reflects on the broader implications of the Berlin Airlift, emphasizing how its success prevented the spread of Soviet influence in Western Europe. As we listen to his experiences, we are reminded of the importance of remembering our history and the lessons it holds for the present and future.

Veteran of the Cold War Berlin Airlift – the Candy Bomber https://coldwarconversations.com/episode56/

Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode417/

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The Atomic Bombing of Japan - The First Shots of the Cold War? (416) Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Today is 80 years since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. I talk with Stephen Walker who is the author of Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima. He has spent years researching the atomic bombings and highlights how they impacted Soviet/US relations in the early Cold War as well as US relations with their Allies.

We reflect on the decisions made at the time, his interviews with the scientists who worked on them and the last surviving aircrew who dropped the bombs. Many aircrew believed they were participating in a mission that would hasten the end of the war, but the reality of what they witnessed—cities obliterated in an instant—haunted them for the rest of their lives.

The threat of nuclear warfare remains a pressing issue today, and understanding the motivations and decisions that led to Hiroshima and Nagasaki can help inform our current global discussions on security and peace.

Buy the book https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780008372552

Stephen's Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/22/atomic-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-author-stephen-walker

Resources from the National Security Archive's Nuclear Documentation Project detailing the available documents of the time https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/project/nuclear-vault

Episode extras ⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode415⁠⁠

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Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History (415) Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

In the heart of Europe, Berlin stood as a city divided not only by walls but by ideologies. I dive into the world of espionage that thrived in this divided city with Special Forces and CIA veteran James Stejskal who has written a new book Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History in Story & Image.

We explore in some detail the intricate web of intelligence operations that unfolded against the backdrop of a tense geopolitical landscape and James shares his own firsthand accounts and lesser known stories giving us insights into spy recruitment, tradecraft and clandestine communications.

Other related episodes

Special Forces Berlin - Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956-1990 https://pod.fo/e/19e5f
My father was Cold War Stasi spy Werner Stiller https://pod.fo/e/255a6
The Cold War Berlin spy tunnel - Operation Gold https://pod.fo/e/1191c

Episode extras ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode415⁠

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

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With the US 1st Armored Division in Cold War West Germany (414) Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Doug and Mike served in CS Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor in the US 1st Armored Division in West Germany.

They provide vivid accounts of their basic training experiences, where they faced the rigors of military life for the first time. Doug recalls the challenges of adapting to the strict regimen and the camaraderie that formed among the recruits.

As their stories transition to life in Germany, they reflect on the unique challenges and cultural experiences they encountered while stationed overseas. From the friendships forged in the face of adversity to the unforgettable moments during training exercises, both Doug and Mike provide listeners with a glimpse into the realities of military service.

Their narratives also highlight the lasting impact of their time in the military, emphasizing how their experiences shaped their lives and careers long after their service ended. With anecdotes that range from the humorous to the poignant, this episode serves as a testament to the resilience and camaraderie that define military life.

Whether you're a veteran, a family member of someone in the service, or just curious about military life, Doug and Mike's stories are sure to resonate.

Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode414

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

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Cold War Short Stories Ep 1 (413) Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to a new type of episode I'm calling Cold War Short Stories — a collection of stories from our listeners and social media followers. These are fascinating Cold War tales that may not fill a full episode, but are far too good to leave untold. So keep them coming!

Your Cold War memories, or those of a loved one, are part of history. Share them with us!

If you have a story to share, whether in text or audio form, you can send it to me at ian "at" coldwarconversations.com.

In this first edition, we’ve got a brilliant mix: a memory from the Cuban Missile Crisis, a chance encounter with a Cold War legend, a 13-year-old’s unexpected flight behind the Iron Curtain, some poignant family reflections from the Korean War, and a visitor’s eerie timing as they arrived in Ukraine just as the Chernobyl disaster was unfolding.

Links.

Robin Stock's web site https://theextraordinarylivesofordinarypeople0.wordpress.com/cuba-rockets-and-me/
Russell Phillips web site https://russellphillips.uk/

Article about Russell's story https://coldwarconversations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Saga-June-2000.pdf

Episode extras ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode413⁠

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Korea: War Without End (412) Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

The Korean War is often called "the forgotten war"—a brutal, complex conflict that claimed millions of lives but has largely faded from public memory, particularly in the West. Yet its consequences are still very much with us today, shaping the geopolitical fault lines on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

In their latest book, Korea : War Without End, Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman challenge not just the memory but the understanding of the war, arguing that much of what we believe about Korea is incomplete, misunderstood, or dangerously simplified.

They explore the war as a story of missed opportunities, strategic miscalculations, and unintended consequences—a war that was as much about domestic Korean ambitions as it was about Cold War superpower rivalry. You will hear why this war has been forgotten, why it mattered then, and why it still matters now.

Episode extras ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode412⁠

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

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The Night a Nuclear Missile Exploded: A Firsthand Account of Survival (411) Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

In this gripping episode, we hear the harrowing account of Greg Devlin, a former US Air Force technician who barely survived a catastrophic explosion at a Titan II nuclear missile silo in 1980.

He shares his journey from enlisting in the Air Force, the challenges he faced, and the fateful night that changed his life forever.

Greg vividly describes how he and his colleagues struggle to contain a potentially cataclysmic situation. With gripping detail, he shares the moment the explosion occurred, the physical and emotional toll it took on him, and the surreal experiences that followed.

Greg's story is one of survival against all odds. He reflects on the aftermath of the explosion and his long road to recovery, which included numerous surgeries and the enduring effects of the hazardous materials he was exposed to.

Greg’s account highlights the dangers of military service and the importance of remembering those who served during the Cold War. It’s a powerful narrative of survival, sacrifice, and resilience.

Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode411/

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

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The Cold War Origins of the War in Ukraine (410) Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

The legacy of the Cold War in Europe continues to impact present day events, most notably in Ukraine.

In this episode I speak with author Stephan Kieninger about his new book Securing Peace in Europe - Strobe Talbott, NATO, and Russia After the Cold War. Talbott was a key figure in US President Clinton’s administration playing a pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy,

We talk about the NATO negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev, his successor Boris Yeltsin and subsequently Vladimir Putin. The discussion delves into NATO's expansion and Russia's desire for a seat at the table in the new European security framework.

Also covered are Russia's objectives and the misunderstandings that arose as NATO began to expand, often leading to tensions between the West and Russia. The episode also addresses the critical issue of nuclear proliferation, particularly concerning Ukraine, and the challenges faced in negotiating security guarantees that ultimately proved insufficient to deter Russia.

Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780231217712

Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode410/

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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The End of East Germany: A Communist Family’s Journey Through Change (409) Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

This is the story of a Communist family in East Germany whose world was turned upside down by the implosion of the GDR.

The story is told by Katja Hesse, whose father was a Vice Admiral in the Volksmarine, the East German Navy. We start the episode with Katja crossing into West Berlin on the night of 9th November 1989 and journey through the emotional landscape of certainties overturned by the opening of the Berlin Wall.

Using her father’s diaries Katja shares in detail her memories and reflections. From her father’s shock upon learning she crossed into West Berlin, to the complexities of navigating a new reality in a reunified Germany. It’s an intimate glimpse into the struggles of her family as she recounts the legacy of the GDR and the profound impact it had on her upbringing and identity.

Buy Katja's book here https://www.engelsdorfer-verlag.de/Belletristik/Romanhafte-Biografien/Ostprinzessinnen-tragen-keine-Krone::7605.html

Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode409/

Part one is here https://pod.fo/e/2f0ace

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

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The Spy in the KGB Archive (408) Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

The story of how one man—a librarian for the KGB—became a traitor to the intelligence agency, stealing the most prized Soviet-era archives and smuggling them to the West.

Historian and journalist Gordon Corera whose new book “The Spy in the Archive” tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin—an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty archives—ended up changing the world.

As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first into a dissident and then a spy; a traitor to his country but a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today.

Related episodes

Deep Cover Cold War Spies: How Russia’s Illegal Agents Penetrated the West https://pod.fo/e/2c6cf5
Portland Spy Ring Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/292bd
Portland Spy Ring Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/4471e
The Bridge of Spies spy https://pod.fo/e/15f244
Discovering your husband is a KGB spy https://pod.fo/e/17a1c4
I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/9c88f
I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/9e0a6

Episode extras ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode408/⁠

The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.

Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.

Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠